Caitlyn Jenner admits the one question she gets most often involves who she's going to date.
"Ever since I transitioned, I’ve been asked, 'Who are you going to date?'" Jenner wrote in a Time Magazine article on Tuesday. "Here’s my answer: Me!"
Jenner wrote that the reason she hasn't jumped into any major relationship has to do with her own journey and desire to better understand herself first. "Nine months into this and I’m still learning who I am," she admitted.
After clarifying her own relationship status, Jenner turned the article's focus to the relationships between transgender women and cis men (men whose sexual anatomy matches their gender identity).
"Something that has really struck me is the difficulty of dating as trans woman or trans man," Jenner wrote. "Because I get so many questions about this topic, I thought I’d consult with someone who knows a lot more about this topic than I do."
That led to Jenner's friend, named only as Jarid, sharing his story about dating and loving a trans woman, Zackary Drucker.
During an episode of I Am Cait, Jenner's friend Kate Boylan said, "It’s got to become as beautiful to love a trans person as it is to love a cis person," she said.
To that end, Jarid shared his story.
After meeting and being attracted to Zackary, Jarid confessed he wasn't ready to pursue a relationship because he was too concerned with what people might think. Eventually, though, he befriended his neighbor Gigi—who also happened to be a trans woman—and through that platonic relationship, came to see that attraction was attraction—no matter what society imposes about who and how to love.
He eventually reached out to Zackary again and the two began dating. Jarid concluded, "Love transcends gender. Love transcends labels."
Personal stories like this allow us to get away from stereotypes and provide a much-needed perspective. As for Jenner, her journey continues, and the question of who she'll date is on the back-burner as she learns to live life for herself.
